Friday, April 20, 2018

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Click on the link below to listen to 23 minute podcast with KYW Radio Reporter Mark Abrams and the Most Reverend Stefan Soroka, archbishop emeritus of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. Then scroll down to on demand arrow to listen to the 23 minute podcast interview.

On Monday, April 16th, 2018, the Vatican Information Service announced that the Holy Father has accepted the resignation for medical reasons of Most Rev. Stefan Soroka, Archbishop of Philadelphia for Ukrainians and Metropolitan for the Ukrainian Catholic Church in USA. Pope Francis has declared the Archeparchy of Philadelphia as “sede vacante”. Most Rev. Andriy Rabiy has been appointed by Pope Francis as the Apostolic Administrator of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia until the appointment of the new Archeparch.

Most Rev. Stefan Soroka was appointed as Metropolitan-Archbishop by His Holiness, Pope John Paul II on November 29th, 2000 and installed on February 27th, 2001. Most Rev. Andriy Rabiy was appointed by Pope Francis as Auxiliary Bishop for the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia on August 8th, 2017. Bishop Andriy, a priest of our Archeparchy, was ordained to the episcopacy by His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk in St. George’s Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Lviv, Ukraine on September 3rd, 2017.

Our heartfelt appreciation is extended to His Holiness, Pope Francis, and to His Eminence Leonardo Cardinal Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, and to His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk for their understanding and compassion. We are also grateful to the Holy Father for the confidence he has shown in the abilities of Most Rev. Andriy Rabiy in appointing him as Apostolic Administrator for the interim.

I take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the clergy, religious, seminarians and laity of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. These past seventeen years have been filled with many challenges and blessings, some unique in the experience of the Philadelphia Archeparchy. Success in responding to the varying needs of the Archeparchy and its parishes was achieved with the positive and hopeful participation of clergy, religious and laity enabled by the Grace of God. Most gratifying to me was the personal journey of prayer and fraternity experienced with the clergy, religious and faithful of the Archeparchy. The highlight of my ministry in leadership was experienced when amidst parishioners and their ministers in parish liturgical celebrations, visits, pilgrimages, festivals, and in personal sharing. I was inspired by the dedication of the clergy, religious and faithful and their love for their Church.

I am also especially grateful for the fraternity and cooperation shared with my brother bishops of USA, with whom common needs of clergy, religious and faithful were addressed in our regular meetings, and in gatherings of our Church. The Grace of God provided richly in our many shared endeavors.

The Risen Christ greeted his apostles with the words, “Peace be with you!” May the peace offered by the Risen Christ characterize our continued love and service of our Ukrainian Catholic Church. Let us remember one another in prayer as we seek the intercession of the Mother of God in this time of transition being experienced within the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia and in our Ukrainian Catholic Church in the USA.

WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Archbishop Stefan Soroka of the Ukrainian Archeparchy of Philadelphia and appoints Auxiliary Bishop Andriy Rabiy of the same Archeparchy as Apostolic Administrator sede vacante of the Ukrainian Archeparchy of Philadelphia until the appointment of the new Archeparch.

The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington on April 16, 2018, by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Auxiliary Bishop Andriy Rabiy, now Apostolic Administrator sede vacante, was born October 1, 1975 in Lviv, Ukraine. He pursued seminary studies at St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Seminary in Washington, D.C., and was ordained a priest in December of 2001 by Archbishop Stefan Soroka at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia.

Bishop Rabiy holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy (1999) and a licentiate in Canon Law (2008) from Catholic University of America; and a Master of Divinity degree (2002), from the Dominican House of Studies, in Washington D.C.

On August 8, 2017, Pope Francis named Father Andriy Rabiy as auxiliary bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia.

Archbishop Stefan Soroka was born on November 13, 1951 in Winnipeg, Province of Manitoba, Canada. He received a bachelor's degree in Social Work (1973) and a Masters in Social Work (1978) from the University of Manitoba. His seminary formation was undertaken at St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Seminary, Washington, D.C. At the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., he earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology (1978) and a Doctorate in Social Work in 1985.

He was ordained a priest on June 13, 1982, for the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Winnipeg at Saints Vladimir and Olga Cathedral, Winnipeg.

On March 29, 1996 he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop for the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Winnipeg and was ordained to the episcopate on June 13, 1996. He then also served as: chairman, Asset Protection Group Insurance Corporation for Western and Northern Canada Dioceses/Eparchies, 1998-2000; chaplain, Ukrainian Catholic Women's League of Canada, 1998-2000; and editor, Progress Ukrainian Catholic News, 1996-2000.

On November 29, 2000 he was appointed Metropolitan-Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia and was installed on February 29, 2001.

At the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, he served as: member of the Committee for Aid to Home Missions, 2010-present; member of the Ad Hoc Committee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe, 2001-present; member of the Committee on Relations between Eastern and Latin Catholic Churches, November 2003-2010; member of Task Force on Content and Flow of General Meeting, June 2003; and member of the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse, 2002-2009.

The Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia includes the District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and parts of eastern Pennsylvania. It has a total Catholic population of 12,846.